RENOWNED make-up artist, Iain Burton-Legge, is combining food and performance art with the creation of human Christmas trees for a Worcestershire restaurant this winter.
His designs will be unveiled on stage at this year's BBC Good Food Show today. at Birmingham's NEC, as part of Destination Worcestershire's activities.
Two young models, Charmi Stone and Josie Holloway, both tipped for the top in 2010, will be “decorated” as sugar and spice in costumes described as “burlesque meets avant-garde”.
They are bringing to life festive varieties of the Worcestershire Dunker - claimed to be the world's most dunkable biscuit, created by celebrity chef, Felice Tocchini, of Fusion Brasserie in Stoulton, near Worcester.
Mr Tocchini has developed a frosted sugar dunker, together with a chocolate cinnamon dunker for after-dinner coffee and, in true Italian style, also created to dunk in champagne.
Mr Burton-Legge, who also runs Circle Creatif, a London entertainment creative agency, has worked with the likes of Kylie, Beyonce and Victoria Beckham. He is creating a fur and organza ice queen-inspired outfit for frosted sugar.
The spice outfit will be all black, incorporating a black and spiced burgandy coset, including hints of the spices used in the cinnamon dunker.
Both will have jewellery fashioned from elements of the dunkers plus make-up and Venitian-style masks for their entrance.
The models will feature at the restaurant as the focus of its Christmas celebrations, with the added benefit of being able to move from table to table, unlike traditional decorations. Mr Tocchini said: "Fusion Brasserie is known for offering something a little different. Our human Christmas trees will bring a smile to our diners, whatever their age.
“It also means we won't have to deal with shedding needles or the perennial problem of how to get rid of your tree once Christmas is over.”
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